zulu.2261.dance
BONA ZULU July 2008
UDANSELA INJABULO
Yini embi nge-ballet? NgokukaTumi Mokgope ayikho into embi - kanti uzimisele ngokushintsha indlela abantu abawuthatha ngayo lo mdanso ngokucabanga ukuthi yinto ‘yabamhlophe’… indaba nguDiane Coetzer, izithombe nguVanessa Grobler/Homegrown
U-ITUMELENG Mokgope ngomunye wabadansi bakuleli abanesiphiwo esimangalisayo kwi-ballet. Okunye akwenzayo wukwethula izifundo kulabo abathintwa yisifo se-AIDS ngezindlela ezehlukene nokuyinto ayenza njalo ngamasonto.
Endaweni yaseDiepkloof eSoweto, uTumi wenza umsebenzi oncomeka kakhulu eRena le Lona Creative Centre for Aids Orphans. Ufundisa umdanso we-ballet ezinganeni zeminyaka esukela kwengu-6 kuya kwengu-16.
Akuwona neze umsebenzi olula kumuntu odansa emazingeni aphezulu emhlabeni.
“Ungumuntu olungile onobubele okwaziyo ukunakekela abanye abantu kanti futhi ungomunye wabadansi abambalwa abazimisele ngokwedlulisela ulwazi lwabo emphakathini,” kusho ongumqondisi wabeSouth African Ballet Theatre uKaren Beukes.
UTumi wakhulela e-Acornhoek edolobheni azalelwa kulona i-Lowveld.
Emva kwalokho, umndeni wakhe wathuthela eSoweto - kodwa uTumi wayechitha isikhathi sakhe samaholidi eLowveld.
Umfowabo kaTumi uyi-tour guide kanti ujwayele ukuletha amaqembu abavakashi eLowveld. “Sonke sisaxhumene nale ndawo ekubeni nezimpande zethu zikuyona,” kusho uTumi.
UTumi uvumile ukuthi ukhathele yimpilo yasedolobheni. “Abantu base-Acornhoek bangabantu abazithobile nabazibeke phansi. Akudingeki size sigqoke kakhulu uma silapha. Ngiyawuthanda umoya onjalo.”
Uphumele obala ngezinselelo okwadingeka ukuba abhekane nazo emsebenzini wakhe wokuba ngumdansi we-ballet.
“Umdanso we-ballet ukwenza uzihloniphe futhi ukunike nenselelo yokuhamba, yokukhuluma neyokuba yilowo muntu abantu abaningi abangamqondi nokungelula ukumqaphela,” kusho yena.
“Abaningi i-ballet bayithatha njengento ‘yabamhlophe’.”
UTumi ulinganise indlela amaMasai ezweni laseKenya ama ngayo nagxuma ngayo njengendlela efanayo neyeminyakazo yomdanso we-ballet nokuthi kuyathokozisa ukubona indlela lokhu okuxhumana ngayo.
Isimo uTumi ayebhekene naso empilweni yakhe nesamhlukumeza kakhulu emoyeni yiso esamholela ekutheni aze azibandakanye nomdanso we-ballet.
“Ngadutshulwa emlenzeni ngesikhathi sitelekela ubandlululo ngeminyaka yo-1980 udokotela wangitshela ukuthi kufanele ngihlale nginyakazisa umlenze wami ukuze uqine,” kusho yena.
“Ngenhlanhla nginesihlobo esisemdansweni esabuka sabona ukuthi i-ballet ingangisiza ngomlenze wami. Okunye okwalandela lapho kungumlando.”
UTumi waqala ukuzakhela igama ngokuba azibonakalise njengomunye wabadansi abamnyama abanempumelelo emangalisayo eSouth Africa. Uthi abantu badinga ukushintsha ukucabanga kwabo ukuze bakwazi ukuzisondeza kwi-ballet.
“Kungani abantu bakhonze ama-cellphone namakhomphyutha ngaphandle kokuzibuza ukuthi okwabamhlophe noma okwabaseMelika kodwa bagxeke i-ballet?” kusho kubuza yena.
UTumi wayeyilungu elaba ngumsunguli weSoweto Dance Theatre ngokubambisana noLucky Diale, Carly Dibakwane, Ellington Mazibuko kanjalo nongasekho uJackie Semela.
Empumelelweni yakhe singabala nomfundaze awuthola ngo-1996 wokuyofunda unyaka owodwa esikoleni somdanso esidume umhlaba wonke iRambert Dance School eWest London.
Ngesikhathi esesePlayhouse Dance Company eThekwini, uTumi wenza umdanso ayewudansa yedwa nokungumdanso ayehlonipha ngawo okaMadiba ubaba uNelson Mandela. UTumi lo mdanso wamwinisa imiklomelo emibili ye-Vita Awards.
Kodwa kule nsizwa akusikho ukuthola imiklomelo okubalulekile. Kumphula umoya ukuzwa izindaba ngobunzima bezingane zaseRena le Lona Centre nokuyinto esimkhuthaze ukuba azisize zibone ukuthi yena yini aseyizuzile ngomdanso we-ballet - injabulo, ukukwazi ukuzisungulela izinto, ukuzihlonipha kanye nomsebenzi osukhombise enkulu intuthuko kulesi sikhathi seminyaka engamashumi amabili. [z]
Homegrown/AENS
▲“Kungani abantu bakhonze ama-cellphone namakhomphyutha ngaphandle kokuzibuza ukuthi ngabe okwabeLungu noma okwabaseMelika - kodwa bajike bagxeke i-ballet?” kusho uTumi ezibuza ngokukhulu ukumangala.
▲“I-Ballet wumdanso okufundisa ukuzihlonipha,” kusho lo mdansi.
ABANTU BAKITHI
▲Noma ungeke ukukholwe - umdansi we-ballet ufithi ngaphezu komdlali webhola elikhokhelayo noma we-rugby!.
